


Game Night

by xslytherclawx



Series: purimgifts 2019 [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Canon Jewish Character, Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, Jewish Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-10-10 15:11:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17428337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xslytherclawx/pseuds/xslytherclawx
Summary: It starts easily enough. His roommate Ernie brings some mates over for a board game night and ropes Anthony into playing with them.





	Game Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LaDonnaErrante](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDonnaErrante/gifts).



> Chag sameach, LaDonnaErrante!  
> I hope you enjoy this; it doesn't feature Jewish Remus, but it does feature a Jewish character (Anthony Goldstein) in a gay ship, and the idea begged to be written.

It starts easily enough. His roommate Ernie brings some mates over for a board game night and ropes Anthony into playing with them. He knows that this is how Ernie decompresses, and he really can’t _blame_ him for it. Board games, Anthony thinks, are much easier to deal with in a roommate than partying.

The problem is that Anthony doesn’t know any of Ernie’s board game friends. They’ve been friends – and flatmates – since uni, but the Venn diagram of the people who come to their flat for board game night and their mutual friends are two distinct circles.

Honestly, half the time Anthony doesn’t even do anything, because Ernie hosts his board game nights on Shabbat, so Anthony’s at shul anyway. This week, though, Ernie chooses to have everyone over on Saturday night.

In retrospect, Anthony thinks he should have known that it was a ploy.

“It’ll be after Havdallah for you,” Ernie said when he brought up the change of date. “So don’t worry about that.”

He should be worried. He doesn't think much on it, really. On Saturday morning, he gets dressed, goes to morning services, and then goes to his uncles’ house for lunch. They play a trivia game, and then Anthony goes home.

Ernie is sorting through his board games when Anthony arrives back at the flat. “Anthony!” Ernie greets. “What do you think about Monopoly?”

“I think if you pick Monopoly, no one will leave this room _friends._ Aren’t you supposed to play Settlers of Catan, or something?”

“Did that last week,” Ernie says. “Want to mix it up. Oh, what about Cards Against Humanity? I’ve just got a new expansion pack.”

“Could be fun,” Anthony says.

* * *

Anthony makes Havdallah about an hour before Ernie’s friends are due to show up. He helps Ernie set up afterward, and then Ernie breaks out his Switch to play a quick game of Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Ernie takes the game way too seriously, and gets annoyed when Anthony picks Jigglypuff – and even more so when Anthony wins three matches in a row with it. He’s still grumbling when someone rings the buzzer.

Ernie answers the door. Anthony recognizes the guest immediately as Neville Longbottom, and everything clicks into place. This is a set up. Neville looks every bit as gorgeous as he did in uni, when Anthony had a major crush on him.

“Anthony,” Neville greets, hugging him, “it’s so great to see you!”

“It’s great to see you, too,” Anthony says, focusing a bit too hard on ignoring the feeling of Neville’s surprisingly muscled arms and back. “I had no idea you were coming tonight.”

“Ernie and I ran into each other a few months ago, and I’ve been coming ever since.”

* * *

They’re a few rounds into Cards Against Humanity, and all pretty tipsy. Anthony is clearly in the lead, and Ernie accuses Neville of intentionally picking Anthony’s cards. “Just admit you’re doing it because you fancy him.”

“How am I even meant to know it’s his cards I’m picking?” Neville asks.

“I dunno,” Ernie admits. “Somehow.”

“You’re being ridiculous, Ernie,” Anthony says. “And a sore loser.”

“He _does_ fancy you, though.”

“Even if he does – and I’m not saying he does – that isn’t the _only_ possible reason he’d pick my cards. I can be funny, too.”

“I’d pick your cards if you were funnier, Ernie,” Neville says. “That’s really the problem, here. I mean –” he reaches over and picks up the black card Anthony had won in the last round, “you answered ‘What kept Maggie Thatcher busy in her waning years’ with –” he shuffles through the reject pile, and puts the black card back in Anthony’s pile, “‘Lance Armstrong’s missing testicle’.”

“Okay,” Ernie says, “that was a shit card, but Anthony picked ‘Feminism’. I don’t know how _that’s_ a winner.”

Neville snorts a little laugh and Anthony can’t help but feel a bit victorious. “Because it’s funny.”

“But she wasn’t a feminist!”

“That’s sort of the point, mate,” Anthony says. “It’s all right. So you’re not funny; you’ve got loads of other redeeming qualities.”

“You two deserve each other,” Ernie said.

* * *

The night ends with Anthony and Neville laughing together in a pile on the floor. Ernie goes to bed, and Anthony gets the idea to play Smash. “Ernie was _pissed_ that I beat him with Jiggypuff earlier,” Anthony says.

“You beat him with _Jigglypuff?”_ Neville asks.

“It’s not like I beat him with Pichu.”

“All right,” Neville says. “You’re on.”

Anthony laughs. “On what?”

“Jigglypuff against Pichu.”

“You’re going to play Pichu?”

“No,” Neville says, _“you’re_ going to play Pichu.”

So he does. Neville squarely kicks his ass in under a minute, even _with_ Jigglypuff, and Anthony is laughing too hard to care. “So what’re you doing with your life lately, Neville?”

“Not much,” Neville says. “Teaching, mostly. It’s not as glamorous as being a _doctor,_ but…”

“‘S not really glamorous,” Anthony says. He’s not sure what he wants to say next, but it doesn’t matter, because Neville kisses him.

* * *

They don’t have sex that night (they’ve both had a bit too much to drink for that), and Anthony feels bad leaving Neville to sleep on the pull-out sofa, but he’s still there in the morning.

Anthony is, miraculously, not hungover, and he trudges out to the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee. He sees Neville trying to get the pull-out sofa sorted, and makes a split-second decision. “D’you wanna get some breakfast?”

Neville stops and looks at him. “Breakfast?”

“Yeah,” Anthony says. “There’s a really great place around the corner. We haven’t got much in to cook, but – it’ll be my treat.”

“All right,” Neville agrees. “But it’d better be a date.”

“Of course,” Anthony says with a confidence he doesn’t quite feel. “We have got – quite a lot of time to catch up on, after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have a friend who beat us all at Smash while playing Jigglypuff and it was the worst – until he beat us with Pichu.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> I might have gotten a bit carried away at Sims
> 
> * * *


End file.
